Rotary container or display device



0d. 15,1935. P, VAN DYKEN 2,017,189

ROTARY CONTAINER OR DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mtmmk Patented Oct. 15, 1935 ii'E STATS OFFICE ROTARY CONEQINER R DISPLAY VICE My invention relates to rotary containers or display devices and the main object is to provide in a simple, attractive and novel form a'device which may be used to contain and hold all the smokers articles, such as cigars, tobacco, pipes, matches, and the like, or which may be used as a display or container for other articles.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind including carrier doors on which the articles to be held or displayed are mounted and which doors are normally arranged to hold the said articles inside and concealed but which may be rotated by a single knob to swing outward and display the articles to view convenient for their removal.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind including a base having drawers for ashes or for containing small articles, a rotary plate mounted on the base for rotation in one direction only, a top rigidly supported some distance above the plate, carrier doors pivotally mounted between the plate and top and having gears at their upper ends concealed in said top, an operating shaft journaled centrally down through the top and having a gear meshing with the gears on thedoors, and a knob on the upper end of the operating shaft whereby the said gears may be rotated to swing the doors and expose their normally inner sides to View.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a medial vertical cross section through the device.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section along the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan View on a reducecl scale showing the arrangement of the gears.

Figure 4 is a fragmental cross section along the line 4-4 in Figure 2.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawings the reference character 5 designates a base made up preferably of octagonal form and comprising a fiat base board 8 and inverted boxlike cover or housing '8 secured thereto at the margins 8. Openings 9 are formed in four op posed sides it of the base housing '3 and drawers H are slidably mounted therethrough into the interior of the base, these drawers being preferably made of metal for their use as ash trays or receptacles and having pull knobs it. An opcrating shaft I3 is journaled at 14 up through the center of the top wall of the base housing 1 with a collar t5 below said wall and washer it above and extends vertically upward some distance as shown. A rotary plate or base plate I! is journaled by a central aperture 58 down over the op- 5 erating shaft l3 onto the washer l6 and may turn freely on the base 5 but only in one direction through the action of springs l9 which are secured at 26 on the top wall of the housing 7 and engage ratchet notches 2i out in the underside of 10 the plate as shown.

At medial points above and adjacent the remaining sides 22 of the base cover 1 four upright support posts 23 are rigidly mounted on the plate ii and a top or head 2 is rigidly secured on the 15 upper ends of these posts 23 and is supported thereby above and parallel to the base plate ll. Said top 2 includes a bottom plate 25, an arched or sloping top 26 and is of either round or octagonal plan or form as desired. The operating 20 shaft l3 extends rotatably through aligned central apertures l8 and 21 in the bottom plate 25 and cover 2'6 and is provided at its upper end above the top with a knob 28 whereby it may be rotated by hand. 25

Four carrier doors or display panels 29 are provided and same are of rectangular form of height such as to fit nicely between the plate I! and bottom plate 25 of the top 24 and of such width as to fit loosely between the upright posts 30 23. These doors have short pins or studs 30 mounted centrally on their upper and lower ends which are journaled in suitable apertures 3| in the plate 25 and in sockets 32 in the said plate I! at points centrally located between the posts 23 35 whereby the doors are mountd to stand as the sides of a square housing when turned flat between the posts as shown in Figure 2.

Small spur pinions 33 are secured on the upper pivot studs 39 of the doors 29 above the bottom 40 plate 25 of the top 24 and a drive gear 34 is secured on the operating shaft it in line and in mesh with these pinions 33 whereby by turning the knob 28 the gears will be rotated and the carrier doors 29 will be turned on their studs 30. 45

Containers 35 of box-like form are secured by their margins 35 to the inner sides of the doors 29 near their upper ends and smaller containers 35a of the same form are mounted beneath. These containers may be used to hold cigars, A, 50 matches B, and other smokers articles and then by turning the knob 28 the doors will be rotated and containers disposed eXteriorly to conveniently remove their contents. The top portion of the device may also be rotated to bring any one of the doors 29 in front of the operator and since this rotation is limited to one direction only by the spring l9 engaging the notches 2! it will not interfere with the operation of the knob 28 to open the doors, the knob being simply turned in the opposite direction when it is desired to open the doors without turning the entire upper part. Obviously the base 5 could be arranged to rotate also by placing the rotary plate I! beneath.

The device is, of course, not limited to use as a smokers article but may be used as Well as a sewing cabinet, drink cabinet, display stand and the like.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor structural details, so as best to construct a practical device for the purpose intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the kind described, a'base including a horizontally disposed top wall, drawers mounted in the base below the said top wall, a base plate mounted upon the said top wall, an operating shaft journaled centrally through the top wall and base plate, a collar secured on the operating shaft below the said top wall, spaced support posts mounted vertically on the base plate, a top supported in spaced parallel relation above the base plate upon the said support posts, the said top comprising a bottom plate and an arched top plate spaced from the bottom plate, the said operating shaft being journaled upwardly through the said top and bottom plates, a knob rigidly mounted on the operating shaft above the top plate,'a drive gear rigidly mounted on the operating shaft between the said top and bottom plates, carrier doors mounted between the said base plate and the bottom plate of the top, the said doors having medial studs at their upper and 1 lower sides and the top wall and bottom plates having recesses to rotatably receive the studs, the

uppermost studs being journaled entirely through the bottom plate and there being pinions secured on the upper ends of the studs in mesh with the said drive gear, the said base plate having an annular row of ratchet notches in its underside concentric with the operating shaft, and springs mounted on the top wall of the base in engagement with the said ratchet notches.

PETER P. VAN DYKEN. 

